In commercial aluminum and glass works, such as shop fronts, banks, offices, or entry gates of large malls, you must have often noticed that when a customer opens a heavy glass door to enter inside, the door does not remain open; instead, it automatically returns to its position and closes in an extremely slow and safe manner. This machine that closes the glass door automatically and without any shock is called a glass door closer or a floor hinge. In today's detailed guide, I will tell you in the light of my practical experience what this machine is, how it works, where it is used, and what the technical principles of its fitting are.
What is a Glass Door Closer?
A glass door closer is basically a heavy-duty mechanical and hydraulic device that supports the entire weight of the glass door and controls the speed of its movement. For community or commercial glass doors, two types of door closers are generally used:
Floor Closer (Floor Hinge): This is concealed inside the floor by cutting into the ground. This is the most excellent and professional solution for heavy 12mm tempered glass doors.
Top Hydraulic Closer: This is installed on the frame at the top of the door, which is mostly used for lightweight doors with aluminum frames.
How Does It Work? Technical Mechanism
Many people think that there is only an ordinary spring inside a door closer, but that is not the case. It works entirely on the principle of hydraulic pressure.
Combination of Spring and Hydraulic Oil: When a person pushes the door, a strong spring inside the door closer gets compressed, and the special hydraulic oil inside it shifts from one chamber to another chamber.
Speed Control: As soon as the door is released, the spring tries to return to its original state, but the hydraulic oil does not allow its speed to accelerate suddenly. There are two adjustment valves in the closer:
Swing Speed Valve: This controls the closing speed of the door from 90 degrees down to 15 degrees.
Latching Speed Valve: This controls the speed from the final 15 degrees down to the exact zero-degree locking position, so that the glass door does not smash into the frame and break, but closes completely gently.
Where Is It Used?
Commercial Shop Fronts: On the glass doors of the main halls of shops and showrooms.
Professional Offices and Banks: Where it is mandatory for doors to remain closed at all times to preserve air conditioner (AC) cooling.
Hospitals and Laboratories: Where automatically closing doors are necessary for protection against germs and dust.
Golden Rules for Glass Door Closer Fitting
If you are new to the field or run your own workshop, mandatorily keep these points in mind while fitting a floor closer:
Perfect Marking with Measuring Tape and Try Square: Before cutting into the floor to seat the closer box, extract the completely straight level of the outer frame and door jamb using a measuring tape and try square. If the closer box is crooked by even half a sootar, the glass door will never stop at the zero center upon closing. Remember, always finalize the size of the holes and cutouts for the top patch and bottom patch fittings to cut the glass beforehand, and only after that get it tempered at the factory. Drilling or cutting on tempered glass afterward is impossible.
Check for Oil Leakage: Always use a floor hinge from a good and branded company. The hydraulic oil of cheap door closers leaks within a few months, after which the door starts shutting with jerks, and the risk of the glass breaking increases.
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